Statement by Leroy Smith on Police arrest and detention

I look with amusement at Friday’s incident, of which I will be vindicated, I observed an unmarked tinted pit-bull minibus trailing my vehicle along several parts of Georgetown prior to the being cornered by the said vehicle at Albert and regent Streets.

Ranks who and I are familiar with each other disembarked, ordered me to pull to the corner and then took up tactical postures.

My colleague and I were asked to step out of the vehicle as the rank indicated that they were in search illegal guns, ammunition, explosives and drugs. We immediately complied and were subjected to a search in full view of the public (thank God) along Regent Street.

A search was then carried out on the vehicle were the pistol was removed from a compartment. Same was shown to me and I claimed ownership and provided the police with a permit which was issued to me by the Office of the Commissioner of Police. The police continued their search of the vehicle before we were escorted down to the Brickdam Police Station.

There certain questioned were put to me about the weapon and responses were given. Although I indicated on Regent Street and again at the station that the weapon belongs to me and that my colleague had no knowledge of it, the police tried in many ways to question him along a line as they seek to apparently make him culpable.

The weapon was eventually placed into an evidence bag and what was interesting is that one police decided to place the permit for the weapon into his pocket, although I expressed reservation about this, he seemed to have cared less.

I should also indicate that during my time at the station, that very police sat for about 2 and a half hour writing notes into a ledger book as messages came to his mobile phone. At the end of that, he asked me to sign to what he had written to in the book and I refused. He also did not attempt to read same to me before asking that I signed.

Seemingly disappointed that I was not signing to that, he proceeded to write in another book and again asked me to sign and again I refused as he was not prepared to read same.
Another policeman then demanded that my colleague who was in the vehicle provide a statement about what transpired and on my advice he was told not to do so as that police continually refused to let the young man know that statements are freely and voluntarily given.

Despite this caution the rank persisted to have the youngman write a statement telling him he was of age and after I cautioned the rank that he was acting outside of normal practices and at the same time threading on dangerous grounds, he then retreated with his advances and tactics of an intimidator.

When I reflect on Friday’s unfortunate incident and the manner in which ranks who were conducted the operation handled the entire process and the manner in which they carried out their duties, I could be brought to only one conclusion.

“This was sanctioned and orchestrated by a person or persons within the Guyana Police Force who are uncomfortable with the manner in which I report the news; something I plan to continue doing without fear or favour. It is no secret that for a period some people have been having sleepless nights, uneasiness and due to my reporting which among other things, proved lack of proper leadership, ineffectiveness, laziness and being down-right out of sync as it relates to situations on the ground”

It should be noted that most if not all the police ranks who were part of the operation on Friday were standing inside the Brickdam Police Station compound when I visited on Thursday. They saw the vehicle i entered and I strongly believe that it was from that point that a person or persons who I only recently learnt have been asking about my movements and even my vehicle number was given the information and it was from that point on Thursday that the events leading up to Friday started.

But what was displayed on Friday and is being termed a stop and search exercise was actually an intelligence led operation. After the discovery of the weapon and the production of the necessary permit which ranks clearly read several times but could not understand the wording, the operation was then termed a “stop and search”

It in fact was a hastily pulled together Intel-operation which failed due to lack of due diligence which had they taken, would have provided them with the basic information they needed in order to appreciate that i am not a in anyway in violation of any laws. And that would have caused them to use their time and resources more wisely maybe going after the many motorcycle bandits including the two i provided them information on two months ago and who they cant even contact to this date.

I can only suspect that the operation against me was poorly crafted and coordinated and speaks volumes of the person or persons under whose instructions these policemen targeted me.

If that is not the case then it was only designed to name, shame, defame and embarrass me. This could be further supported by the fact that less than ten minutes after the police requested my particulars of my colleague and myself, including our ages and addresses that screen grabs of a text message began circulating to the phones of selected journalists and civilians including those closely associated to a particular member of the force.

Nevertheless, I am Leroy Smith, I am the face of the BIG Smith Brand and I wish to state clearly that I will at no point seek to make the work of the police a strenuous one by way of my conduct and actions as a citizen of the country.

However I will continue to advocate through my public social media platforms for proper policing in accordance with the standing orders and laws of Guyana. I will continue to also advocate for better treatment of members of the public who are taken advantage of by members of the Guyana Police Force, be it on the roadways, their homes or at police stations through excessive and trumped up charges.

Further, this move by CERTAIN ELEMENTS within the police force will NEVER daunt my spirit or the relationship I have with respectable and competent members of the force who I would continue to work closely with.

And the dirty barracks, compounds and unprofessional police ranks and officers will also continuously be featured on my news platforms once I receive the information and find them to be accurate; AS USUAL.

Lastly the incident also underscores the need for the Top Cop and his deputies to quickly find the breaks for this runaway train they inherited and bring into line, officers and individuals who use their offices as service men and women, to settle scores; for when they would have gone into requirement it is the Guyana Police Force that will remain.